


Begin Again

by CasaByers



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Becoming Friends Again, F/M, it's been a year!!, jancy vibes, kinda character study, kinda s2 prediction, mild drunk stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 15:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasaByers/pseuds/CasaByers
Summary: Jonathan and Nancy connect again.





	Begin Again

Jonathan likes being alone, it is not nearly as depressing or sad as some seem to think. He supposes it is because he is used to it. He never had any friends; the kids in Hawkins bullied him, were afraid of him or just ignored him. It was harder when he was younger; seeing other kids playing together, seeing kids in the halls laughing, never being invited to parties… his own birthday was just the four of them… three after Lonnie left. However, as he grew older, as Will got older, as he took on more responsibilities, he didn’t miss it as much. People seemed over rated, people could hurt you, people lied, and people could not be trusted. So he stayed along the sidelines, taking photos and staying in his own world.

Then she started talking to him, and then something inside of him woke up. He knew part of it was the adrenaline of the most messed up week he’d veer been through… he tried to tell himself that. Convince himself not to get attached. Then she let him into her world, in a shockingly intimate way. They laughed, teased each other, she chatted him up as they drove in his car, they saved each other’s lives, they battled a monster and he held her hand.

He wondered if this is what having a friend was like. Maybe he’d been wrong not to try with some of the kids at school. but no, he realized, it was all her, he liked her, he liked being friends with her… the other feeling he felt, the one he had to shove back as hard as he could, the one that screamed that she was pretty and smelled nice and looked soft… yeah he realized all of that.

And then it was over.

Will was back, Barb was gone, a monster was dead and a girl with super powers had saved them all.

Then, Nancy went back to Steve and Jonathan went back to his solitude with only his family to keep him company.

He didn’t mind. He really didn’t. His feelings were not hurt; his feelings were shielded behind layers and years of keeping certain feelings at bay. He understood and he didn’t blame her.

So why was it so hard to look at them?

And when he had to pick up Will, a few days before Christmas, and he saw her, she said his name and it tugged at him, she was close and smiled and spoke to him softly, she gave him a present and she kissed his cheek.

He left a little confused, a little sad, a little happy… but once he was back home, after he’d put the camera together, he pushed everything back again and let it go…

It felt like the kiss was a goodbye…

And after a year… it had been.

~~~

Jonathan was at home, he’s nervous and anxious, his mom had taken Will to the hospital with Hopper, he’d been acting strange the last couple of weeks, and it had only gotten worst. He got home after his shift at the store to find a note, and he had worried since.

So he sat in the quiet home, waiting, worried. He felt a little useless at the moment, and that wasn’t a new feeling…

He had been feeling out of sorts since his mom had started to date Bob.  He felt adrift and oddly alone… waking up to Bob making breakfast the other morning had made him feel this tug of fear he hadn’t felt in a long time. He is of course happy that his mom is happy, because Bob is a decent man.

But…

It is so quiet in the house that he can hear the ticking wall clock, taunting him with the long seconds. He wishes he had someone to talk to and he sighs and looks around the living room.

Aside from Buster, asleep on the easy chair in the corner.

And that’s when the phone rings.

He jumps up and is by the phone in a second, he picks it up, expecting his mom, or Bob, or Hopper.

The voice on the other end makes his knees weak.

“Jonathan… um… can you come and pick me up?” Nancy asks, her voice is slightly slurred; there is loud music and people talking in the background. She sounds sad.

He is confused, why had she called him, they don’t even talk at school. It’s been almost a year…

“Jonathan?” she asks.

He blinks, “yeah, um where are you?” he hopes he has enough gas, in case she is far away.

“At Tina Daniels house,” she is quick, “I’ll be outside.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten.” He knows where that house is, it was on his paper route a few years ago.

“Thank you.” and she hangs up.

Jonathan looks at the receiver, he’s not sure how he feels, but she called him, she needs a ride, he can do that.

He grabs his jacket and pulls it on over his red flannel; he grabs his keys and leaves the house.

~~~

 

He pulls up outside of the large home and he can hear the music from inside, he can see teens outside of the house, mostly along the side, he narrows his eyes, he tries to spot her, he doesn’t want to get out of his car but he does, finding her will be quicker.

He walks up the lawn, avoiding bodies that fall into him and elbows as drunken teens dance to pop music.

Everyone is in costume and it seems like everyone at Hawkins High is here… well… aside from one.

he nearly walks up to the front door, when he hears her, he gets tense because she sounds annoyed.

“Please, I’m trying to leave.”

He picks up Nancy’s voice over the mass of people and he walks around the side of the house.

He spots Nancy and about five dudes who are dressed like west side story gang rejects. He’s not sure what their costumes are but they look stupid and drunk.

He marches up; he faced off with his deadbeat dad, beat the shit out of Steve Harrington and battled a monster, so little scares him anymore.

“Nancy,” his voice is soft as he gently places a hand on her bicep and pulls her towards him.

Nancy spins to him, eyes wide; she seems to relax when she sees that it is only him, she steps closer. Well stumbles, she is tipsy.

“You’re leaving with the creep?” the largest of the group asks. He is leering at Nancy and Jonathan squares his shoulders as he backs up.

Jonathan recognizes him, he’s Billy, a new comer to Hawkins. He had been steering clear of him, didn’t pay much attention. However, he gets this feeling from Billy that he doesn’t like, so Jonathan doesn’t turn his back as he walks Nancy away.

Nancy suddenly spins back to Billy and marches up to him, slipping out of Jonathan’s grasp; as he feebly tries to pull her back.

“Jonathan is not a creep!” she seethes. She doesn’t get too close to Billy, but she jabs him in his stupid chest. “He’s… fucking brave you jackass… and he’s… he’s better than you. You’re the creep!” Nancy nearly spits.

Billy’s crew, mostly football players all make low ‘ohhhh’ sounds as the grin on Billy’s face leaves him.

Jonathan finally pulls Nancy back, still gentle, “let’s go.” He says, she nods, looking sad.

Jonathan looks at Billy, half-expecting to be hit, but Billy just watches them. And that doesn’t sit well with him, as he leads Nancy away, he keeps an eye on Billy.

~~~

He’s finally got Nancy in his car, She’s quiet, watching out the window as he drives.

He sighs, he’ll take her home, get her in bed, hope Mike will cover for her and then leave, by the morning she’ll forget all of this, go back to Steve… he’ll go back to-

“I’m sorry.” Nancy says softly.

Jonathan glances at her before he looks back at the road, “I don’t mind picking you up. Those guys looked like real dicks.” He says with a shrug.

Nancy shakes her head, “no… I mean… I’m sorry.”

He’s at a stop sign, no one else is on the road, but he looks at her, she’s looking at him, and then narrows his eyes, he scoots over, reaches over to the passenger door and pushes it open.

Nancy has her head out the side and throws up.

He sighs and decides to hold her hair back, it is shorter now but still in the way. He wouldn’t know, but he’s sure she’ll feel better after this. He rubs her back gently, tries not to smirk.

He changes his mind and takes her back to his home. She has her head resting on the open window, sighing.

When he pulls up to his home, she looks at him confused, “maybe you should sober up before I take you home.” he smirks just a little bit and she looks pitiful as she nods in agreement.

He realizes as she steps through the door that she has never been in his home outside of that one time last year, so he isn’t surprised when she looks around perplexed.

Everything is back to normal… almost normal.

“Here, um, let me get you some water, or coffee… coffee.” Jonathan decides when she rubs her face slightly. “Down the hall is the bathroom, if you want to freshen up.”

Nancy looks at him and she smiles slightly. “thanks.” She walks down the hall.

He removes his jacket and sighs, he starts to make some coffee, it is well past ten pm but she needs it, and he wasn’t planning on going to bed anyway.

He can hear her using the sink, he hears her open the bathroom door, hears her in the hall. He expects her to appear in the living room, but after a minute, he wonders where she went he walks down the hall and freezes when he sees her sitting on the edge of his bed. He steps through the threshold. His sock covered feet make the floorboards creak.

Nancy sighs, “I like your room,” her voice is a whisper.

Jonathan stands near the foot of his bed, she looks so small, tired and sad, and his heart aches at the sight.  “You can sleep in here if you want to… I don’t mind.” he finds himself saying.

Nancy looks at him, “you’re just going to let me trample back into your life?” she asks.

Jonathan takes a deep breath in, “coffees almost ready.” He says instead of anything else on his mind. Like how any anger or hurt feelings he has have faded because her eyes are so damn big and sad looking.

She nods, then she pulls at her shirt, “um… do you have anything…” she looks embarrassed, but also as if she wants to rip the shirt off.

Jonathan nods, “yeah, here.” He walks to his dresser and pulls out a folded and clean, tan t-shirt, he fumbles and finds some sweatpants as well.

He is surprised when he turns and she is right next to him, “thank you.” She takes the offered clothes and Jonathan leaves her.

~~~

He’s sitting on the couch, some ten minutes later, he has some coffee, a mug for her is on the coffee table.

Nancy finally joins him; she walks past him, sits closer than he thought she would, picks up her mug and takes a sip.

He gives her a look, her hair is back in a messy ponytail, she is swimming in his clothes, her eyes are closed, and she seems to be sobering up.

“Who were you supposed to be?” he finally asks.

Nancy laughs slightly, “Lana from Risky Business.” Nancy says softly.

Jonathan furrows his brow, he had not seen the move, but he works at the theater and he had heard enough about the movie. It is the opposite of anything he could ever be interested in… in life or fiction.

“It was Steve’s idea… he really connected with it.” Nancy looks mildly queasy at the thought, Jonathan wonders if he needs to get a bucket.

They’re quiet again.

“How have you been, Jonathan?” she asks, she is leaning against his shoulder, she smells like her shampoo, his toothpaste and his laundry soap.

Jonathan breaths in and debates on what to say to her, before he replies, “fine… I’ve been fine.”

“I’m sorry…” she says it again. And he knows what she is apologizing for. Part of him wants her to expand on it, tell him she is sorry for ignoring him, leaving him behind… but that isn’t fair.

 He’s seen how sad she looks, he’s seen her fake smile.

And, it’s not like he tried to reach out, he’d kept his distance, always waiting for her cue.

“It’s alright, Nancy.” And it is. He’s not sure why it is, but it is, and it even lightens a weight in him to say it.

He can feel her looking at him, so he finally meets her gaze, she looks relieved, confused… she drops her gaze, and she is blushing.

He quarks a brow at her, confused by her reaction.

Then she presses a kiss to his cheek, soft and sweet. She pulls away but rests her head on his shoulder.

Jonathan isn’t sure what this means, but he’s okay with it.

And suddenly a car is pulling up to the house, he suspects his mom and Will, hopefully with good news. He has a story he will fabricate about Nancy being here, his mom won’t mind anyway.

Nancy squeezes his arm, “its fine, just my mom and Hop.” Jonathan says as he stands up.

The door opens a lot more forcefully than it should and Hopper rushes in, he looks distressed.

Nancy stands next to Jonathan, who is suddenly tense.

Hopper looks between the both of them, and in his calm but intense voice, “We have a problem.”

Jonathan looks at Nancy and she looks at him, and just like that, their world is turned upside down, again.

 

~~~

 

Fin

**Author's Note:**

> i might add onto this...


End file.
